‘I’mnotaslazy asJeremyand Richardthink’
Presenter James May’s delicious new venture sees him swapping cars for cooking…
You’re probably more used to seeing James May behind a steering wheel than a kitchen counter. The 57-year-old is best known for co-presenting The Grand Tour with Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond, but this year he’s taken up a new hobby: cooking. James, who lives in London with his partner of 20 years, art critic Sarah Frater, has swapped his driving gloves for oven gloves as he embarks on his new series, James May: Oh Cook!.
Here the TV star chats to us about dieting in lockdown, home life and losing his temper…
Hi James. How does filming for a cookery show compare to The Grand Tour?
It’s completely different to anything I’ve done before. I’m not comfortable like I am in other shows where I’m doing things like putting lawnmowers together, because I don’t know what I’m doing in the kitchen. I wondered whether it would sustain – seven episodes of me standing here talking – but since Covid, people are very excited about introverted TV.
How did Richard and Jeremy react to your new venture?
Well, I don’t think they realised I’d done it. Richard said, “Oh, did you ever do anything with your cookery show?” And I said, “Oh yeah, Amazon have bought it.” And he looked at me as if to say, “Are they mad?” [ laughs].
I hadn’t seen Clarkson for ages, but when I did he asked whether I’d started the cooking show yet and I told him I’d started months ago. He must have wondered how I snuck it in! I’m not quite as lazy as they think I am.
What’s your eating regime like at home?
Traditionally, it’s been problematic. There’s just myself and Sarah at home and we eat far too late. We start off thinking we’ll roast a whole chicken and by the evening we’re both drunk and fighting over the carcass
[ laughs].
Have you ever had to take charge of your diet?
I was very aware of the danger everyone was facing in the first lockdown, of becoming drunk and fat. So, I suppose we did try to eat quite healthily then.
What are your memories of food growing up?
I’m quite an old-fashioned person in the sense that my dad worked in the steel industry and tended to get home late. My mother had four kids, we didn’t go out or eat takeaway very often, she cooked. It was straightforward 1970s food, like fish fingers and an occasional curry made from leftover chicken. I’d go out and learn how to fix the lawnmower, but I’d never stand next to my mum to learn how to cook.
Why was that?
I don’t know why I wasn’t interested
in learning how to cook – I was interested in eating! When I was at college, I’d go to the canteen at lunchtime and have a bowl of soup, potato pie with chips and two or three vegetables, then I’d have pudding with chocolate custard. And then I’d have it all again.
Who would be your dream dinner party guest?
No celebrity chefs. I’d choose world leaders and say, “You’ve got your issues and all these things that are keeping you apart. But now, you’re all going to eat my noodles and by the end, you’ll have to come to an agreement on everything.” Noodles for world peace and prosperity!
What’s your idea of food heaven?
I think food heaven is being a bit hungry – especially if you’ve been doing something active all day.You always want something straightforward.You never think. “I’d kill to be in a Michelin-star restaurant.” You think, “I’d kill for a bag of fish and chips.” The feeling that you’ve earned the right to eat can be the greatest.
‘I’dcook noodles forworld peaceand prosperity!’
Have you had to become very patient to do a cooking show?
I have, yes. It does make me quite bad tempered. I’m not normally bad tempered, especially not with the crew, but they really did get on my nerves. I was trying cutting edge stuff, which I’ve never done before, and everyone’s got an opinion on it.
Tell us what we can expect from the show…
It’s a cookery show for beginners. I’m learning as I go along. I’m often looking at things I’ve never seen before, like pastry[ laughs]. It all began as a bit of a joke, but just before lockdown, we decided to get a studio kitchen, came up with some recipes and just went for it.
James May: Oh Cook! is on